Blood Break.
The title of Liam's experimental strength buff, which he had realized possessed two phases: the First Break, which he was comfortable using, and the more powerful yet dangerous Second Break.
Liam leaned to the left as Kazumi led with a left punch once more, but this time, he landed a quick hook to Kazumi's side before jumping out of the range of Kazumi's elbow.
That was too close, Liam thought as his entire body vibrated with energy. He could feel it: the roar of his heart, the rush of adrenaline, the heat of his body, and his heightened awareness.
Focus! he yelled at himself as he jumped to the side as Kazumi blurred forward even faster than before. Unfortunately, he used too much force, so he ended up sending himself flying. Realizing his predicament quickly, Liam hit the ground and rolled up in one, fluid motion.
"Hey, Nanami, what are you doing?" Rex hissed.
"I'm recording this, duh. Hey, it's been three minutes already. Good thing I didn't make that bet with Lisa."
"Tch," Lisa clicked her tongue.
Liam parried Kazumi's punch and pushed his knee down. He leaned away from a hook and came back to land a quick jab, then ducked when Kazumi's fist came flying back and landed another hit on Kazumi's gut.
Before he could rest, however, Kazumi's elbow came crashing down on his shoulder. As Liam stumbled forward, Kazumi grabbed his head and sent his knee flying up. However, Liam managed to stop the strike with his hands, and Kazumi frowned as he let his leg swing back and sent his head downward in a headbutt.
Liam grunted, but the adrenaline pumping through him numbed the pain enough for him to block Kazumi's knee again. Kazumi responded by sweeping Liam off his feet, but Liam grabbed the hands still attached to his head to pull Kazumi down, curled his legs up to his chest, and kicked Kazumi in the chest the moment his back touched the ground.
Kazumi was sent stumbling back, and the spectators gasped as he recovered quickly.
Kazumi frowned as Liam rolled to his feet and raised his arms. His body changed. It's hotter, and he got faster somehow.
His frown lessened as Liam approached cautiously. This is getting interesting.
Kazumi took his stance... and waited. The seconds crawled by as Liam eventually stopped three feet away from him.
They stared at each other for three seconds, then sprang into action.
Liam threw the first punch, and Kazumi rose his arm to intercept it. The punch never landed, but Liam's foot landed solidly on the side of his knee.
A feint?! Kazumi thought in surprise as his left arm shot forward. Liam parried it and sent a cross flying towards his chest. Kazumi caught his wrist and hopped into a knee strike. Liam moved his head out of the way in time, but Kazumi simply moved with the flow.
He continued his ascent and placed a foot on Liam's shoulder. In that same instant, he sent his other foot flying into Liam's face.
As he hopped off, Liam fell on his back, dazed. Kazumi landed on his feet as Liam struggled to his feet, and Kazumi immediately leaped forward with a raised foot.
Liam rolled away as Kazumi stomped his foot down, and Liam continued to roll back as Kazumi continued to stomp. With a sudden twist, Liam pushed himself off his arms onto his feet. Kazumi immediately closed the distance, and liam rose his arm to parry—
Kazumi landed a powerful right kick into Liam's side, causing the other to grit his teeth and exhale sharply.
He noticed my habit, Kazumi thought as he sent his leg back and his cocked arm forward into a powerful cross to Liam's lower abdomen. This time, Liam took the blow, then sent a raised fist straight down into Kazumi's cheek.
Kazumi fell forward, caught himself with his hands, then performed a flare to knock Liam off his feet.
B-breakdancing!? Raidou thought with wide eyes.
As Liam fell, Kazumi's legs swept back to hit him in the arm, then he pushed off to his feet.
Liam had to break his landing with one arm, and he managed to do it, if only barely. He threw himself into a roll, then received a knee to the head just as he was getting to his feet.
Jarred, he froze for a brief moment. Taking the clear opportunity, Kazumi landed a jab on his nose, kneed him in the chin, lifted him up for a headbutt, then threw him to the side.
I could end this fight now, he thought as he watched Liam struggle to his feet. But... I want to see more.
"Come on. Is that all your effort amounts to?" Kazumi asked as Liam took his stance. His nose was bleeding, and his head was throbbing painfully. Mixed in with the roar of his heart came a wave of dizziness. He took a single step forward and was met with a powerful punch to the cheek.
His head snapped to the side, and something sticky and warm filled his mouth. Kazumi grabbed his arm and pulled him into a punch to the gut. Liam resisted the urge to cough as Kazumi landed a sharp uppercut on his jaw.
I need... to do my best... Liam thought as three more blows to his body landed. I need... to survive...
As Kazumi went for another gut punch, Liam spat at his face, and Kazumi instinctively raised his hands to block the red liquid that came flying towards his face.
What? he thought just as Liam landed a powerful jab to his gut. Refusing to stop, Liam began landing consecutive strikes on Kazumi's torso, refusing to stop until Kazumi landed a hammer blow on the crown of his head.
Liam's hands hit the ground and pushed him up, and he managed to block a second punch before a foot slammed into his gut.
"Gah!"
He was sent flying back. He bounced off the ground once, then landed on his belly. Groaning, he pushed himself up to a knee, the world in front of him blurred and shook, and Kazumi calmly approached him as he stumbled to his feet.
"You should stop," Kazumi said as he noted Liam's bleeding nose and mouth. "You're gonna hurt yourself even more."
Liam's breathing had fallen apart, and he was struggling to stabilize it. With some effort, he looked up at Kazumi's face and made a risky move:
He closed his eyes.
He emptied his head, ignored the pain, and listened solely to his heartbeat.
I promised myself that I'd do my best...
Liam opened his eyes to see Kazumi only four feet away. He drew on the cut on the inside of his cheek as his breathing stabilized.
So I'm gonna do my damn best.
He spat a large red pellet at Kazumi's face, and the boy simply leaned out of the way to avoid it. Liam barely registered it as he drew on all his willpower and ordered his body:
Second Break!
His heart went into overdrive, and the light red that had dusted his skin deepened. Kazumi paused as steam began to roll off Liam's body, and he frowned at the sight of the crazed look in Liam's reddening eyes.
...This doesn't look safe, he thought. "Liam, stop—"
Liam burst forward so quickly Kazumi couldn't believe it was the same person, and in his shock Liam managed to land a hit on his gut so powerful it made him stumble back.
Wait... how—
Kazumi's thoughts were cut off as the back of his knee was struck, and his neck was grabbed from behind at the same moment.
—is he faster?
Kazumi got slammed into the mat hard enough to make him bounce, but he performed a kip-up to get right back to his feet. Liam's foot flew towards his torso as he began to rise, but Kazumi caught it, slid a leg back, leaned forward a little, and threw Liam across the mat.
Liam bounced off the mat once, then landed on all fours and bared his teeth. He closed his mouth again as his entire body seemed to pulse along with his heart. His mind was hazy, and he could barely think straight, but two thoughts still echoed in his mind, merging themselves into one:
My best... to survive...
Kazumi frowned deeply as Liam fixed his mad red eyes on him. The color that used to swell in his irises seemed to have been dominated by red, and the edges of his sclera seemed to be a lot darker than before.
He's refusing to give up, Kazumi thought as he tilted his head from side to side, cracking noises audible each time. Fine. Then I'll just knock him out as safely—
Kazumi's eyes widened as he shifted his head to the side to dodge a punch, then automatically twisted his body into a punch straight to his face—
"Kazumi stop!"
Kazumi froze as Lisa's voice broke his concentration, and two blows landed immediately on his throat and solar plexus. Liam threw him back with his fist, then dashed forward at the same time to press the attack.
Kazumi reached out with his hands to catch the mat, then flipped over onto his knees. At that moment, Liam's foot came flying towards his face, and Kazumi flinched instinctively.
Liam's foot connected, but Kazumi's head remained in the same place. Completely ignoring his bleeding foot, Liam jumped back a whole six feet to observe Kazumi quietly.
Kazumi raised his head, and Liam caught a glimpse of a jagged black mask on his face before he charged forward.
I can't believe I felt threatened enough to use my Venma, Kazumi thought as his hand reached out for Liam's face. I need to end this now.
Liam raised his hands to grab Kazumi's forearm, but black spikes immediately sprouted out of it and stabbed them. Liam's eyes widened even further as Kazumi grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground.
Liam's grip tightened, but Kazumi peeled one arm away with some effort, then jumped back into a spin. After two spins, he threw Liam far over the mat and onto the other, smooth-grey half of the Crucible.
That should do it... what?
Liam flipped through the launch and landed on a foot. The force was too much, however, so he hit the floor back first. He flipped over and took several steps back, and Kazumi's eyes widened as red webs shot out of his bloody hands and stuck to the floor.
Liam pulled himself forward and let go of the webs. As they disintegrated, he crouched to put a hand over his bleeding foot. Almost immediately, the wound began to close up.
None of the others could see that, of course, but Liam's friends had begun to run towards him when they froze at the look on his face.
"What...?" Lisa muttered in shock.
As if all emotion had been stripped from him, his face was completely blank, his mouth drawn into a straight line. A few veins could be seen throbbing on his arms, legs and face, and when he parted his lips, it was to bare a red object covering his teeth.
A... mouth-guard? Kazumi thought in shock. "But how—!"
Everyone froze as the blood dripping from Liam's hands stopped midair. It began flowing back towards his hands, and the steam coming from his body was tinged with red.
Lee stared in shock as Liam opened his eyes to reveal black sclera and ruby-red irises.
Is that... his Venma?!
"Liam, STOP!" Lisa yelled as Liam slid a leg back and raised his arms. Blood attached itself to the skin of his forearms, and slowly it began to thicken into the vague form of large gloves.
Liam leaned forward in silence as one line of red ran down from his eye, and when it flowed off to his arm, a single black mark remained.
...Survive.
And with that, he burst towards Kazumi.